Let Your Perfect Niche Go. Really.

Several days ago, a woman who is quickly becoming one of my favorite nature photographers asked me how I determined my niche.

It floored me. I had no answer for her at the time. I certainly do not consider myself an expert! Truthfully, I didn’t think I had established that yet!

I have struggled with the concept of the right niche over and over again.

What’s my niche?

Who am I serving? How do I communicate with them? Will “they” come?

Is this the “right” niche for me?

I know the mindset of clients that I don’t want to work with (so why do I even pretend that I do?)

I can get really really hung up here. WHO are my people? Where are they?

Especially when I start comparing myself and my work, my slowish development process to those who have been doing this (designing and creating websites) a lot longer, are significantly younger than I am, are crazy fluent and skilled and understand (have always understood) that they are creative.

I on the other hand have not understood that I am creative. I have felt like I’ve had to fight for every ounce of creative that I express. I am just now coming into a full sense of my own creative juices!

They say to look at who it is you want to help.

So, here’s the other thing! (sign of the cross here)

I don’t even really feel like I am here to ‘help people” any more. I am here to create and live in JOY … and LOVE … and if my doing that is in someway helpful to you? YES!!! I love that. That is the way of it.

Part of my joy is tuning in to the energy of my clients, the energy of the Divine Beloved (my word for God these days) as them and translating that into the creation of beautiful platforms from which our work is shared with the world. Because none of us do this thing alone. Whatever it is we are doing, we don’t do it alone. Even when it feels crazy alone.

It is important to be in harmony with the people I choose to create with or to know how to get into that space together. It helps to get out of my own way so I can hear what is wanting to be said, feel what is wanting to be birthed … or be able to recognize that the not hearing, the not feeling it is just as important to be aware of. Because, sometimes, what is wanting to be expressed is for another design pairing. Getting out of my own way allows me to honor that when it shows up.

The women on the Web Designer Beauty School support forum have been amazing role models for me here by sharing what’s worked for them and by creating the space for questions and dialogue.

Bottom line for me? I am (finally) owning my creative voice as I approach my 6th decade. Trusting that I can do this … because I LOVE it. In the midst of loving it this week, I’ve had huge “wtf! Who do I think I am to even think I can do this” moments!

Those wtf moments? They’re how I know I’m in the right place at the right time because this feels bigger than me and I have to trust. They are how I know to sink in beyond the immediate resistance and do the next step that shows itself.

This design process [and the ongoing learning of it] is for me a collaboration with the Divine Beloved. It is our playground. It is a place where I choose to let go of everything that wants to go. It is a place where I allow myself to receive everything that wants to be received and then expressed, offering it up.